Sunday, June 13, 2010

There is word that terrifies nomads more than anything: dzud. A natural phenomenon that hits you without a warning. First there was a drought that didn't allow the cattle to gain fat that protects it from the cold. Then, winter arrived with extreme temperatures and an unusual amount of snow. The animals that rely on grazing were doomed. The herders whose livelihoods completely depend on them, lost everything. Millions of cattle dead, thousands of people pushed toward poverty... So, it makes me think, is it the end of nomadism in Mongolia? Will the last nomadic nation soon be forced to change its traditional way of living? It surely looks that way. Unless, something is done urgently to protect the environment and prevent overgrazing. Because if you look closely, it is humanity's fault that dzud and other phenomena happen more and more often. Development and sustainability sound like and oximoron, but there is a way to make it happen. I hope so...

Here's another video about the consequences of the dzud the appeared in the New York Times: click here (Thanks, Joe)